


Not this time

by spockside



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Headcanon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-13
Updated: 2014-09-13
Packaged: 2018-02-17 06:08:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2299295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spockside/pseuds/spockside
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce followed the contractors, architect, and Tony around the place, listening with half an ear to their descriptions and demonstrations. He'd get the condensed version later from Pepper or Tony; right now he was trying to imagine himself in this space.</p><p>It was, after all, his new home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not this time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Margo_Kim](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Margo_Kim/gifts).



> This might make more sense if you've read "[Caretaker](http://archiveofourown.org/works/575173)", but I think it can be read on its own as well.

"No helipad, Tony."

"Where will the quinjet land?"

"I don't expect anything bigger than a delivery truck," said Bruce patiently. "Or anything that can fly. Except you, of course, and you can land anywhere."

"And frequently do," Tony conceded. "Okay, but the roof's still gonna be extra-super-double reinforced. You sure you don't want landing lights?"

"You'd probably design them in the shape of an A. Talk about painting a target on my back."

Tony just grinned at him and went back to reading the report on the latest Stark Enterprises installation, approaching its finishing stages on a site in New Jersey. A site that Bruce had had a hand in selecting, in an oblique kind of way.

Bruce was gazing out the window of Tony's penthouse, as if looking across the river to the site.

"Still haven't found him."

It wasn't a question, but Tony replied anyway.

"Without a name, rank, or serial number, all I had to go on was employment records, and you know how that turned out."

"Yeah, I know. Paid in cash, no names, site owners called it 'casual labor'. I've had work like that, myself." Bruce shrugged. "It's been a year. He's probably moved to Florida by now. Or passed away. It was hard to tell his age."

"Let's think positive, shall we?" Tony put down the report and patted Bruce's shoulder. "Let's imagine he invested all that cash and is living the life on a boat in the Keys. He'll see ten seconds of footage on the new building and think of you, and toast his ever so brief acquaintance with one of the Avengers."

Bruce shook his head and smiled a little. All the world was a stage for Tony Stark, but all Bruce wanted was to keep his head in his work and try to make the world a little better. The Other Guy had been cooperating of late; apart from his tantrum on the helicarrier and his part in the victory over Manhattan, he'd been a mere shadow in Bruce's head.

"Final walk-through is on Tuesday," Tony was saying. "You'll have to be there, you know."

"I know," said Bruce. "I can blend in with the rest of your entourage. I'll just wear a dark suit and sunglasses and glance around suspiciously."

"Well, that'll make four of you, then. Though I'm not sure Romanov will blend in."

"Natasha?" Bruce was mildly startled. "Who else?"

"Barton," said Tony. "And one of the Koenig boys, Billy, Joey, Tommy, I can't keep 'em straight. Fury and Steve would be too conspicuous, so SHIELD is sending Koenig along to report back."

"And Pepper, of course," said Bruce. "With any luck she'll draw all the attention. Well, all that isn't focused on you."

"If any," Tony smirked.

//-// 

As things turned out, it was a fairly pedestrian affair, literally and figuratively. The purpose of the labs at the facility was to research eco-friendly applications of technology on a smaller scale than the other Stark installations. Pepper and Bruce hoped to find ways to incorporate green tech into a workplace or home, adapting to the space rather than having to build from the ground up.

Ironically, they had built this place from the ground up - but with materials and plans common to any office or apartment block. As a result, it looked more or less at home on the site, like any other anonymous business park, though the extensive landscaping was unusual.

Bruce followed the contractors, architect, and Tony around the place, listening with half an ear to their descriptions and demonstrations. He'd get the condensed version later from Pepper or Tony; right now he was trying to imagine himself in this space.

It was, after all, his new home.

//-// 

"I feel like I'm dropping my kid off at camp," said Tony. "Or college."

All the outsiders had gone, and it was just himself, Bruce, Pepper, and the SHIELD agents hanging out in the lounge area on the fifth floor. This level was to be Bruce's living quarters, complete with high-tech communications facilities and a transparent dome that could be opened remotely in case the Other Guy showed up.

"Don't worry, Dad," Bruce teased. "I'll be fine, I'm just across the river. You can see my dorm from your citadel. You can fly over every day."

Everyone laughed, including Agent Koenig (Bruce couldn't tell which one he was, either), who had just appeared in the doorway.

"Dr. Banner," he said. "There's someone downstairs to see you."

Bruce frowned. "Guess I wasn't blending in well enough," he muttered to Tony. "Anybody you recognize, Koenig?"

"His image isn't in SHIELD's database," said the agent, without consulting anything on paper or screen. (Each of the Koenig brothers apparently had some special gift, including, apparently, eidetic memory.) "Older fellow, looks like he's seen better days. He asked for Dr. Banner and said he'd wait; wouldn't give a name."

Bruce and Tony exchanged glances, and Bruce headed for the door. As he slipped past Koenig he heard Tony say, "Are the surveillance cameras up and running?"

He took the stairs, the fastest way down, and crossed the lobby once he saw it was empty. Pushing the glass doors open, he came out on the front walk and immediately saw exactly what - whom - he'd expected to see.

A slight, crooked man in slacks, sneakers, and a button-down, with a fedora on his head that looked only slightly younger than the man himself. He stood looking out over the river, and when he heard Bruce's footsteps he turned with a smile.

"Well, here you are," he said, as if it had only been a day since they'd last met. 

"Here I am," Bruce echoed, shaking his hand. "And here you are. Again. How did that happen?"

"I've been watching the place go up," said his friend, turning to look up at the new building. "Looks pretty ordinary, from the outside. I bet it's full of surprises, though."

"I hope so. It's full of lab equipment and schematics, at least. You want to come up?"

The old man shook his head.

"I'm not so good around a lot of people," he said matter-of-factly. "How's the big green guy?"

"Okay," Bruce replied. Nobody ever asked about his "hidden talent" as Tony called it, except to ascertain whether it was safely under control. "He seems - content. How have you been?"

"Pretty well. Got a lot of time on my hands." He smiled his sardonic smile. "Only difference is, now I don't get paid for it."

"But that isn't a problem, is it? Getting paid, I mean."

"Not a problem." He didn't seem evasive, just disinterested. "Sounds like you're starting a new chapter, new house and all."

"How do you know this is my house?"

"It looks like an office building," said the man readily, "but like I said, it's something else on the inside. Like you and the other guy. Not good and bad, just different. Each side serves its own purpose - to conceal or reveal, to live or work."

Bruce was nodding. Once more, this enigmatic man had hit the nail on the head, putting into words that which Bruce wished everyone understood.

"Your friends'll be coming down soon," said the enigma. "Want to know if you're in trouble, or just curious about this old man. You don't mind if I don't stick around, I hope."

"I don't mind. As long as - you will come back, won't you? When they're gone?"

"Sure. I'm in the neighborhood. You take care, now."

He ambled off down the long walk to the gate, just as Bruce heard the glass doors open.

"So that's him?" Tony said.

Bruce nodded. "You saw?"

"Everybody saw," said Barton, who was the only other person to come down. "There's no audio on the feed, and I can read lips, but I could only read yours. It was weird - like he was speaking a language I didn't know. Was he?"

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me," Bruce smiled. "And he was speaking English."

"Did you get his name?" Tony asked, and Bruce shook his head.

"Not this time."


End file.
